Posted: 6/16/2004 11:46:05 AM EDT
| Hey guys whats the current radio used by the us military, the bigger ones like you'd carry on yer back? or do they not use those anymore and use smaller ones? |
I found a newer manpack one(at least thats what they said) for sale I was thinking about getting one but than I found out the price(just under 1k) and well, I'd rather have another AR than the radio. The radio was a PCR77(IIRC) or is it PRC77 I don't remember exactly. |
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Actually the PRC77 was a few generations before the SINCGARS, There are probably a few still in use here and there, they were pretty heavy even without spare batteries/jungle attenaes etc... so most units long ago traded them in on newer smaller sets. They were a good reliable set and with good antennea got decent range, As far as active duty use, I can attest to the fact that they were in use as trainer sets when I was in Basic in 92. I doubt I would pay a grand for one, I am sure if you look around hard enough you can find them for much less, these sets have no internal COMSEC/Encrytion capabilities so they can be sold to the public, whereas newer sets have this feature built in, you just load keys directly into the radio, making them "classified equipment". No you generally don't need a clearance to operate them, but you do need a clearance to open them. on the subject the older FM's could be used on secured nets using external encryption devices such as the KY57(Vinson). The early versions of the SINCGARS had one weak point, it was not capable of operating in an encrytped mode while set to frequency hopping. Many Poorly trained troops had trouble remebering how to load keys (it was an easy process, but a little clumsy your first few times), So they would set them to broadcast in the clear, on a single freq. negating all of the security features, no different than an old PRC77. |